Personality Test: Kurtis Sprowls
Kurtis Sprowls begins his first season as a member of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre this month. He's been hired as an apprentice, although he's already performed in “The Sleeping Beauty,” “La Bayadere” and “Don Quixote.”
Sprowls, who grew up in Orrville, Ohio, started dance lessons when he was 9 and was onstage in “Annie Get Your Gun” the next year. He liked rehearsing and the reality of the stage as compared with films. In 2012, at 16, he decided on dance as a career. He came to the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School's summer intensive, went home and doubled up on high-school coursework, and began two years in the school's graduate division at 17.
He lives in Shadyside and, apart from dance, enjoys going out to eat with friends or just hanging out. At home, he likes to watch movies and is doing more reading.
The star who would play me in the movie version of my life:
Either Jake Gyllenhaal or Eddie Redmayne. I have been told that I look like both, and they are great actors.
Childhood hero:
My mom. She is an incredible woman and has been there for me every step of the way.
The piece of memorabilia from my childhood I wish I still had:
I would have to say my blanket. My great-grandmother made it, and it was soft and green.
Favorite app:
I love Instagram. I love looking at everyone's photos and posting my own.
Favorite season:
Fall — perfect sweater weather
Favorite ethnic food:
I love Thai food. Noodlehead is my go-to.
Pick one: “Veep,” “House of Cards” or “Scandal”:
Out of the three choices, I have watched only “Scandal” (I'm behind a season). I have heard “Veep” and “House of Cards” are both good, as well.
Show I have or want to binge watch:
It's hard to just choose one. I'm going to go with “Scrubs.”
The Disney character most like me:
Simba from “The Lion King”
Movie I could watch every time it appears on cable:
“The Goonies.” It's a classic.
The movie that always makes me cry:
I don't normally cry during movies.
Favorite lunchtime spot:
The Thin Man Sandwich Shop in the Strip District
Favorite guilty pleasure:
I love pizza. I love going around Pittsburgh and trying new pizza places with my friends. We then go and watch a movie.
My favorite Pittsburgh pizza:
Pizza Taglio in East Liberty.
Pick one: Cheetos, Cheez-It or Cheerios:
Cheez-Its. They are so addicting.
Best vacation ever:
I went to The Netherlands last summer for a dance intensive. I visited Amsterdam and stayed in Den Haag. I would go back in a heartbeat.
The first band I saw in concert:
I was in seventh grade and saw Hannah Montana at Quicken Loans Arena (in Cleveland).
The best concert I've ever seen:
I recently saw Betty Who at Altar Bar. She had so much energy and life.
Place I'd most like to visit:
I want to see the world. I am really interested in backpacking Vietnam. I feel like it would be a crazy adventure and not normally something I would do. I also want to visit Australia.
In five years, I'd like to:
Still be dancing and inspiring others
My favorite thing about Pittsburgh:
How it is a big city but still feels close-knit and has a strong sense of community
Three people I'd love to have dinner with:
Jiri Kylian, Robert Fairchild and Gene Kelly. They are some of my biggest inspirations, and I would love to sit and talk with them.
One word my mother would use to describe me:
Determined
When I was 10, I wanted to be:
A star on Broadway. I loved musicals and performing; I just knew it was my calling.
Favorite Pittsburgh-area landmark:
The view from Mt. Washington. I like being able to look out over the whole city. It is so beautiful.
In high school, I was:
The Dancer. I was the only dancer at my high school, and that's what I was known for.
My most memorable fashion mistake:
I used to have a pair of pants that had a zipper around the knee where you could turn them into shorts. Looking back, I don't really know why I thought they were cool.
If I could go back, I'd tell my teenage self:
To be confident, and to be who you are
My first job:
When I first moved to Pittsburgh, I got a job at a burger restaurant as a food runner. I really enjoyed it and made a lot of friends.
My most treasured fashion accessory:
My Swatch watch. I wear it every day (I currently have a bad tan line from it).
The person I'm most often mistaken for:
One of my brothers. We all look very similar.
If I wasn't a dancer, I'd be:
A physical therapist or blogger
The last book I read:
“What To Do When It's Your Turn” by Seth Godin
My childhood nickname:
My grandma calls me “Squirt.”
My favorite website:
The song that always gets me out on the dance floor:
Anything with a good beat
Happiness is:
From within. It's giving people a piece of your heart and letting go.
My personal motto:
I have nothing to prove, only something to share.
People would be surprised to know that I:
Played trumpet in my high school's marching band.
